In an unnoticed development at last week’s trade deadline, the 76ers were still trying to trade up for a top pick in this draft, indicating a willingness to talk about Joel Embiid or any player on their team, an NBA source told Forbes.com.

Yes, that’s the Joel Embiid they drafted No. 3 overall last spring. In other words, after going 65-144 over the last two-plus seasons and parting with Jrue Holiday, Nikola Vucevic, Louis Williams, Thaddeus Young, Jodie Meeks, Spencer Hawes, Nick Young and Andre Iguodala, the 76ers don’t have an asset on the lot whom they’re committed to.

All they have to show for that wheeling and dealing is Dario Saric, a hot Euro-prospect who’s signed with a Turkish team through the summer of 2016, and, of course, more No. 1 picks.

Embiid was sent home from the team’s recent West Coast swing after a reported blowup with a member of the training staff.

Per CSN Philly:

“I don’t weigh that,” Embiid said in passing at a D.C. hotel Sunday night with the Sixers in town to face the Wizards for a Martin Luther King Day matinee.

A team source backed him up, stating that 275 pounds has been the maximum weight for the 7-footer whom the Sixers selected with the third overall pick in last year’s draft.

Embiid weighed 250 pounds while playing for Kansas last season, but while he’s been recovering from a foot injury, his weight has been a concern. Head coach Brett Brown said earlier this month that it was being addressed. When Embiid was sent home from the team’s West Coast trip a few weeks ago, Brown said it was so he could be part of a more “structured, stable environment.”

Injured Philadelphia Sixers rookie big man Joel Embiid has become a fan-favorite despite not having played a second of NBA ball.

The fun-loving Embiid makes people smile through his silly Tweets and whatnot, but there appear to be issues with his employer.

The third overall pick in the 2014 Draft has reportedly gained close to fifty pounds while sitting out, and some in the Sixers organization don’t think he’s working hard enough to recover from surgery to repair a fractured right foot.

Per the Philly Inquirer:

Embiid has a weight issue. Although the Sixers wouldn’t disclose his weight, a source said he’s close to 300 pounds after being 250 pounds at Kansas last season.

His work ethic is being questioned by some inside the organization. […] And a blowup with assistant strength and conditioning coach James Davis is one of the reasons he was sent home during the team’s recent West Coast road trip.

(Sixers forward Luc Mbah a Moute) knows more about his fellow Cameroonian than anyone here in the United States. He spotted Embiid at a basketball camp in their homeland several years ago. The 28-year-old has mentored Embiid ever since. […] “Obviously, you can see some of his immaturity [in] his tweets sometimes,” Mbah a Moute said. “But you can also understand how mature he is in certain situations the way he handled himself … He’s a good kid, man. At the end of the day, it’s tough for him being in a situation where people can’t really see who he is as a person.”

adidas has quietly established the best group of rookies of the 2014 NBA Draft class. With Andrew Wiggins and Dante Exum already in the fold, adidas got even richer by adding two more lottery picks to their roster: Joel Embiid and Marcus Smart.

Sources confirmed to SLAM that both Embiid and Smart have signed contracts with adidas. Exact terms were not disclosed, but it was confirmed that both contracts will be multi-year deals. Embiid, who was drafted third overall by the Sixers, is widely expected to sit out his entire rookie campaign while recovering from foot surgery. Smart, who was the sixth overall pick by the Celtics, just finished an Orlando Summer League that saw him average 14.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.2 assists for Boston.

On Wednesday morning, adidas confirmed the partnerships with an official release:

The day of the NBA Draft is almost here and it’s the realization of a lifelong dream for the selected. What every player wants is a chance to show what they can do, location of that opportunity lies secondary. It won’t be the best 60 players selected in this Draft as the NBA continues to rate players with potential above players who can play and, most importantly, know how to play.

Look for teams to use this opportunity to trade existing assets to get younger (and cap lighter) as well as to trade down.

Here are the top players in the Draft (it doesn’t mean they will be taken at these picks) in what is one of the deepest draft boards in years.

It almost seemed too perfect. From Cameroon to an apartment to Milwaukee to riding the bench at Montverde to The Rock School to Kansas to potential No. 1 pick. Then the injuries came. First the sprained knee at KU, then his back, now his broken navicular bone in his foot. Still, Embiid’s dream will come true on Thursday when he is selected in the NBA Draft.

We first saw Embiid in the spring of 2012 on the AAU circuit with the Florida Rams. The adidas-based program was led by Florida bound highlight machines Kasey Hill and Chris Walker, so there wasn’t exactly a ton of playing time and shots to go around for a raw 7-footer. He could run the floor well and was explosive in the spring, but that was about it. As the summer went on, the Rams changed their name to Florida Elite and Embiid’s game grew with the program. He dominated the adidas Invitational and set him up for a remarkable senior season.

Playing at The Rock in Gainesville, “JoJo” didn’t play in may national high school events throughout his final campaign. Not many saw him, well, until the high school all-star games rolled around. Embiid dominated at the Jordan Brand Classic practices and simply wowed NBA scouts at the Nike Hoop Summit among an International team that included Andrew Wiggins, Dante Exum, Dennis Schroder, Sergey Karasev, Livio Jean-Charles and others. Some NBA executives felt that he was the best long-term prospect in the event (mind you, this was in the midst of the Andrew Wiggins insanity), despite the fact that all of the major recruiting services didn’t even have him ranked as the top center in the class. The rest was history.

We linked up with Embiid in L.A. for the Wasserman Media Group pro day, in which he worked out alongside elite draftees such as Jabari Parker, Kyle Anderson, Marcus Smart and Jerami Grant. To say that he impressed scouts would be an absolute understatement. After all of the concerns about his back injury, the 20-year old showed that he was 100 percent…for the time being.

“Right now we are working on his conditioning and getting him some post play, Embiid’s trainer Fred Cofield told us before this latest injury. “Will Perdue and Brian Scalabrine have been teaching him some great stuff. The biggest thing was to get him healthy and in shape, then those guys will teach him some skill work.”

The improved post play was evident during the hour and a half long session. He shot the ball facing the basket out to around 17 feet, even stepping out to hit a couple of NBA three pointers. With his back to the basket, it was clear that his moves still needed refinement, but the flashes that he showed were absurd. The footwork, counter moves, and finishes with both hands were tantalizing. And that’s not even mentioning that it appeared as if he were playing on a 9-foot rim with his freakish athleticism.

At a legit 7-feet and nearly 270 pounds, Embiid is everything that you look for physically out of a center. He gets off the ground with the power of a lithe swingman and only has to jump a mere 7 inches to the rim thanks to a 9-5 standing reach. The combination of size, power, grace and desire to improve is what had him as the likely top pick in the Draft…until a few days ago.

“Nobody has seen anything like that kid before,” boasted Cofield of his prized pupil. “We’ve all seen big, athletic guys before, but this kid is a tremendous athlete. He has to be one of the best athletes to ever play basketball and he picks everything up so quick.”

A week ago, Joel looked like he’d be settling in my hometown of Cleveland for the next few years. Now, it’s totally up in the air. His agent, Arn Tellem, has full discretion upon what teams acquire Embiid’s medical records. This essentially gives him near control of what team this potential franchise-changing big man ultimately winds up at. Everything that Embiid brings to the table is well known around the League, and now it’s just a matter of NBA decision makers to decipher if the massive reward is worth the risk that comes along with it.

“I don’t think there’s been any center before him with his athletic ability,” Cofield reinforced. “Now it’s just a matter of getting him healthy, some experience, and teaching him how to play.”

A year ago, the Cavaliers kept everybody guessing about who they’d take first overall until the very moment they declared the pick. They’re not making their intentions any more obvious this summer, but we have some clues as to who they may take. From ESPN.com’s Chad Ford:

Embiid’s workout and interview in Cleveland last week were major successes, according to sources close to the Cavs. Embiid did a full workout there in front of the Cavs’ front office and owner Dan Gilbert. Multiple sources said that the team was blown away with the workout. Embiid even ended one session by launching and nailing a series of 3s. Directly after the workout, two different sources told me that Embiid was the strong favorite to be drafted by the Cavs. Even Gilbert was on board.

The health of Joel Embiid’s back could sway the whole Draft. If it checks out, he’ll likely go first overall, and, for instance, Andrew Wiggins could end up going third to Philly. If it doesn’t, he could slide down a few slots (or more), and the futures of a handful of franchises will be altered. So for a pre-draft trip to Cleveland, this is a pretty big deal.

Joel Embiid will soon meet with his first NBA team. The former Kansas center will visit the Cleveland Cavaliers in the near future, and the team will give him a physical to make sure his sore back has healed. This is the first visit Embiid will take, and he will not meet with any other teams until the Cavaliers get the chance to watch him and decide if he’s worthy of being selected No. 1 overall.

Via ESPN:

Embiid won’t visit another team until the Cavaliers are given a chance to determine if they will select Embiid with the top pick in the NBA draft on June 26.

Embiid sat out the last six games of Kansas’ season due to a stress fracture in his back, missing the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments. Embiid worked out for NBA personnel last week in Los Angeles.

The 7-foot Cameroon native has been projected as a likely top choice throughout the season. That’s why Embiid won’t visit with Milwaukee or Philadelphia, which have the next two picks, until Cleveland has a chance to review his case for No. 1.

Embiid’s representatives and the Cavs are working toward finding an appropriate date, time and even perhaps place to conduct the interview and physical. The possibility remains it could be in Cleveland but that has not been determined.

Embiid did not attend the Chicago NBA pre-draft combine earlier this month where he would have undergone one physical, with the results available for all 30 NBA teams.

Cleveland still could deal the No. 1 pick, and that’s another reason why Embiid’s representatives want to see where the Cavs stand before offering up potential visits or interviews. The Sixers likely would have to move up to the No. 1 spot to get a chance to visit with Embiid.

Joel Embiid responded to questions about his back during a workout in Los Angeles on Friday. With dunk after impressive dunk, Embiid showed NBA scouts and executives that he has the physical tools of a possible No. 1 pick.

If Joel Embiid’s back checks out, reports say he will likely be the No. 1 pick in next month’s NBA Draft. But the Cleveland Cavaliers are skeptical about the health of the Kansas center’s back, to the point that he no longer tops the team’s draft board, and that the team is preparing to draft Kansas forward Andrew Wiggins or Duke forward Jabari Parker. Via Fox Sports Ohio:

Despite a recent national report, Kansas center Joel Embiid does not top the Cavs’ list of prospects, sources said. Embiid suffered through some well-documented back issues in his one year of college, and one source said the Cavs therefore have him “red-flagged.”

Embiid will need to undergo an extensive physical by the Cavs, sources said. In other words, the Cavs will not rely on an independent evaluation, such as the one being offered by Embiid’s camp.

New general manager David Griffin and owner Dan Gilbert have both indicated if there is any question about a player’s present or long-term health, the Cavs will take a pass on the prospect in the draft. They appear to be handling the Embiid situation similarly to how they approached their pre-draft assessment of center Nerlens Noel last summer.

Noel was considered a possibility for the top overall pick (which the Cavs also owned) in 2013. But he wound up sliding to the sixth pick as a result of concerns over his injury. Noel’s knee caused him to miss his entire rookie season with the Philadelphia 76ers.

With Embiid suddenly a major question mark, the Cavs have likely narrowed their early possibilities at No. 1 to Duke forward Jabari Parker and Kansas swingman Andrew Wiggins. Sources cautioned, however, that Embiid has not been entirely ruled out.

According to sources, the Cavs feel Parker is the most NBA-ready player in the draft, and that he will be a much better pro than collegian.

That said, the Cavs are also supposedly very high on Wiggins. Not surprisingly, they are said to believe he has the potential to be an explosive scorer at the next level. They are also impressed with his length and athleticism, particularly when it comes to defending the all-important wing spots.

The NBA Draft is a little more than a month away, but according to ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, the Cleveland Cavaliers already have an idea of what they want to do with the No. 1 pick. The team is reportedly targeting Kansas center and former SLAM cover boy Joel Embiid over Duke guard Jabari Parker and fellow Jayhawk Andrew Wiggins.

Via ESPN:

Sources also told ESPN.com that although Embiid is first on the organization’s wish list, that doesn’t mean that Cavs general manager David Griffin — who had the interim tag lifted earlier this month — isn’t also considering Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker with the first pick.

Cleveland, which went into the draft lottery with a 2.4 percent chance of landing one of the top three picks, was far more focused on players who were likely to go in the middle or back end of the lottery than having to decide between Embiid, Wiggins and Parker.

With the likely departure of free agent Luol Deng, the Cavs’ most pressing need is for a skilled small forward who can shoot. However, Cleveland — which has Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao up front — also could sorely use a skilled big man who is able to score in the post as well as step out and make shots from the perimeter.

The Cavaliers, who have yet to name a coach to replace Mike Brown, also can offer a five-year max extension in July to All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving, the team’s best player. If he declines the offer, the Cavs could put him on the trade market.

Embiid, who played alongside Wiggins at Kansas, is also an effective two-way player who can rebound, block and alter shots.

Sources told ESPN.com that Embiid is the early front-runner for the top pick as long as his back is OK. The team’s medical personnel will get an in-depth look at him in the coming weeks.

Teams were furnished with a list of players planning to participate in the combine in recent days, and the reported absence of Embiid and Parker pushed Wiggins’ representatives with BDA Sports to pull him out on Sunday night.

While most top prospects don’t participate in the basketball elements of the combine, most make themselves available for physicals to be distributed to the 30 NBA teams.

“To be honest,” one general manager said, “I’m surprised more guys don’t do this. It’s the only thing they can really control.”

Embiid, Parker and Wiggins are DraftExpress.com’s top three prospects and virtually every NBA executive expects them to go 1-2-3 in some combination in the draft.

Embiid and Parker are both represented by Arn Tellem and B.J. Armstrong of Wasserman Media Group. Bill Duffy of BDA Sports represents Wiggins.

“They may have to do multiple physicals now,” one NBA general manager said. “It’s more of a concern about Embiid than Parker, given [Embiid's] back issues.”

Embiid, a 7-footer, is still recovering from a stress fracture in his lower back, and high-lottery teams will be anxious to have him examined by their own physicians. Embiid suffered a stress fracture in his lower back, but expectations have been that he’s on his way to a full recovery.

Embiid hasn’t been cleared for full-contact workouts, but has been on the court shooting in recent weeks, sources said. Ultimately, Tellem and Armstrong can simply be waiting for Embiid’s back to further heal before exposing him to physicals. With Embiid a potential No. 1 overall pick, Tellem could simply allow the team with the overall top choice to examine him later – or perhaps let the Nos. 1 and 2 teams do it.

Jabari Parker was anointed “The Best High School Basketball Player Since LeBron James” in May of 2012. He was tall, he was talented and he was ready to take on the world.

While Parker’s legend was being born in Chicago, IL, a teenager named Joel Embiid was about to enroll in The Rock School in Gainesville, FL. Embiid was tall, too, but he was a newcomer to the game of basketball, and he was barely ready to take on high school competition let alone the world.

This is what makes Embiid, now regarded as the potential No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, one of the most fascinating prospects in recent memory. Star basketball players are supposed to play from the time they’re 4 years old. They’re supposed to go to elite summer camps, tear up the AAU circuit and devote their entire life to basketball. They’re supposed to make JV as a middle school student and varsity as a freshman, garnering interest from colleges the entire time.

That’s not what happened with Embiid. He began playing basketball around the time Parker began getting national attention, which makes his meteoric rise even more amazing.

Comparing Embiid to Hakeem Olajuwon is a bit unfair, just like comparing a college-aged kid to one of the greatest basketball players of all time is unfair.

The parallels between the two, however, are hard to ignore. Olajuwon picked up the game relatively late, choosing instead to play soccer until he was 15 years old. Once he started playing, he improved incredibly fast, and by the time he finished his collegiate career, he was a No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.

Embiid is following the same trajectory. As with the Nigerian-born Olajuwon, who first excelled at soccer, another sport prevented this native of Cameroon from getting into basketball.

“I was playing other sports like soccer and volleyball,” Embiid says. “Basketball is not really big back home. Soccer’s really big, so everyone wanted to play soccer and I was playing soccer, and then I played volleyball. I started watching NBA games, and I just really loved the game. It was unbelievable.”

His skills as a volleyball player have helped make Embiid perhaps the most intimidating shot blocker in all of college hoops. Standing 7-0, with a 7-5 wingspan, Embiid would be a devastating shot blocker, regardless. Throw in the footwork and timing he honed as a volleyball player, and it’s no wonder he has anchored Kansas’ defense this season, with Jayhawks coach Bill Self calling Embiid “the only rim protector we have.”

“Offensively he’s gonna continue to get better, but his feet are like Hakeem’s,” Self says. “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen anybody with feet like Jo’s.”

***

The first time Justin Harden saw Embiid play, he knew he was special.

“I thought, This kid’s a pro,” says Harden, the head basketball coach and athletic director of The Rock School, where Embiid spent his senior year of high school. “I don’t know how long it’s gonna take, but I thought this kid is the most talented and special 7-footer that I have seen in a while.”

It’s not every day that a potential star from across the globe falls into your layup line. Luckily for Harden, that’s exactly what happened.

When Embiid first came to America, he enrolled at basketball powerhouse Montverde (FL) Academy. While there, Embiid mostly played on the school’s JV squad, as the varsity squad featured star prospect and current Kentucky center Dakari Johnson.

In June of 2012, Harden received a phone call from Minnesota Timberwolves’ forward Luc Mbah a Moute, an alum of Montverde from Cameroon who was instrumental in bringing Embiid to America.

“He said, ‘Hey, we’ve got this kid, we’re looking to move him, we’re not really happy about this situation at Montverde but more importantly we want to get him in a place where he can possibly grow as a player,’” Harden recalls.

Harden admittedly didn’t know who Embiid was or anything about his game. In fact, Harden didn’t watch Embiid play until “late July or early August” of ’12, when he hopped on YouTube and watched clips of Embiid playing.

Eventually, Embiid enrolled at The Rock School in August, and as a senior he averaged 13 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game for the Lions.

This translated to unprecedented success for the school. In Embiid’s lone year in Gainesville, The Rock School won more than 30 games for the first time in its history and won the Sunshine Independent Athletic Association state championship. Embiid had 10 points and a team-high 14 rebounds in the win. “Joel was a huge reason why [we were successful],” Harden says.

When you’re a supremely talented 7-footer, with soccer-caliber footwork and enough potential to make any coach salivate, you’re obviously going to have basketball teams from around the country battling for your services. For Embiid, that was no different. Nine schools offered him scholarships: DePaul, Florida, Kansas, Louisville, Marquette, Texas, UCLA, Virginia and Wake Forest. That list was whittled down to three—Florida, Kansas and Texas—and in November of 2012, Embiid verbally committed to Kansas, joining a long line of solid big men to pass through Lawrence in recent years.

Over the course of the following months, with the additions of five-star recruit Wayne Selden and No. 1 prospect Andrew Wiggins, the recruiting class that Embiid was a part of became one of the best in the nation. Those three players were a major score for a Kansas team that had lost its five top scorers from a year before, including the No. 7 overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Ben McLemore. (That’s not to say the cupboard was bare: promising sophomore forward Perry Ellis and junior guard Naadir Tharpe were returning.)

“I like it [here], because at Kansas someone like Andrew [Wiggins] is so talented and so good, or someone like Wayne [Selden] or Perry [Ellis], everybody can score, everybody can do anything,” Embiid says. “Other players don’t really pay attention to me.”

***

“We haven’t had anybody like Jo.”

Bill Self has coached a bevy of great college big men in his career. He’s seen guys like Cole Aldrich, Marcus and Markieff Morris, Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey. While all of them did work on the hardcourt and piled up the hardware, Embiid’s raw talent makes him perhaps the best big man that Self has ever coached.

“The thing that those guys had on him was a little bit more swagger to their game than what Jo does, in a large part because Jo’s young,” Self says. “Give Jo a couple more years and he’ll have that.

“But as far as a raw talent standpoint, I love the kids I’ve coached and they’re good players,” Self continues. “But there’s not been anybody that we’ve coached like him.”

Like Harden, Self remembers the first time that he saw Embiid play. He wasn’t as impressed, but for good reason: The first time he saw Embiid, it was with his AAU squad, Florida Elite, where Embiid was flanked by fellow five-star recruits Chris Walker and Kasey Hill.

According to Self, he went to see Walker and Hill, and Embiid didn’t make a major impact. But the first time Self saw Embiid play for The Rock School, he was “blown away.”

“I told our assistant, He’ll be the best big man we’ve ever had if we can get him,” Self says. “Certainly he’s already that.”

Embiid started the season on the bench for the Jayhawks, not picking up his first start until nine games into the season, when Kansas traveled to—of all places—Gainesville to take on Florida. His performance in that game wasn’t anything special: 6 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 assists in 30 minutes in a 67-61 loss.

Since then, Embiid burst onto the national scene and has already set a freshman blocks records for Kansas and has become a legitimate candidate for the National Player of the Year award. Embiid has averaged 11.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game on 62.4 percent shooting from the field. Which is really good. Until you remember that he’s still learning the game. Then it’s just absurd.

This has brought Embiid more attention than he ever expected. And while guys like Wiggins have been in the national spotlight for years and know how to handle it, Embiid is learning on the fly.

“Joel’s never experienced any of this,” Self says. “Considering the different pressure that he’s under and considering he doesn’t have anything to draw from personal experience on how to handle certain situations, I think he’s done remarkably well.”

Embiid still has some time before his college career ends, even going as far as to say that he’s strongly considering staying for his sophomore year.

“Physically, mentally, if I feel like I’m ready, I’m going to leave,” Embiid says. “But right now, I’m not really thinking about that. So I’m just thinking about winning the Big 12 and winning the National Championship.”

Part of this is due to his continuously developing game, but part of this is due to the fact that he’s still getting used to life in America.

“One day I was talking to Coach Self and I was like, ‘Yeah, I don’t even know how to drive yet.’ Eating healthy, I don’t know how to do that yet,” Embiid said in an interview with ESPN’s Dana O’Neil. “I don’t know if I feel like I’m ready for all of this.”

No matter how long he stays in Lawrence, Embiid knows that all that matters there is winning. He gets that it’s not about individual accomplishments at Kansas, it’s about championships. The Jayhawks have won 10 straight Big 12 regular-season championships and three of the last four conference tournaments. Embiid knows this, and Embiid is embracing this.

“At Kansas, we’ve won 10 Big 12 championships in a row,” Embiid says. “No one wants to be that team that didn’t win. That’s the thing: win championships and try to win the big game.”

The Jayhawks have locked up this season’s Big 12 regular-season title, and it would be a surprise if the team didn’t lock up the conference tournament title. While it’s not all because of Embiid, according to Self, his value to the team cannot be overstated.

“He’s vital to us and so we can be as good as we could be,” says Self. “And when you stop and think about it, if you’re projected to be a top 2 or 3 pick in the NBA, and you take that away, what team wouldn’t that hurt?”

The potential payday that comes with the NBA will loom over Embiid for the rest of his collegiate career. Maybe he won’t declare this year. Maybe he’ll stay in school until he’s a senior, wait until he gets his degree and then enter the Draft.

The most likely scenario, of course, is that Embiid declares sooner rather than later. ESPN and Draft Express rank him the No. 1 Draft prospect in 2014. In fact, you’d be hard-pressed to find a respected NBA Draft expert who doesn’t have Embiid at No. 1, let alone their top three.

It’s not hard to figure out why—Embiid is one of the best college players in America at a position that is always in need. The list of NBA squads that wouldn’t take a soon-to-be 20-year-old center who oozes potential is as short as Embiid is tall.

Beyond the potential and the upside and all the other things that teams love, there is one thing that Embiid possesses that truly makes him a rare prospect. No matter how good he is, no matter how much he has improved in only three years, the Cameroonian wants to continue to work to get better.

“All I’m thinking right now is I just want to keep getting better and the rest will come: The NBA, all that,” he says. “Right now I just want to get better and keep working because I know I still have a lot to do. I don’t feel like I’m doing enough, so I want to keep working and improving.”

Kansas center Joel Embiid announced today in a press conference his intention to declare for the 2014 NBA Draft. The announcement comes more than two weeks after fellow star freshman Andrew Wiggins declared for the Draft.

Via The Kansas City Star:

With Jayhawks coach Bill Self by his side, Embiid announced Wednesday at a news conference that he’ll enter the NBA Draft, closing his college career after 28 games. Embiid said he came to the decision on Sunday.

“I just want to thank God first for giving me this opportunity to come to the (United States) and play ball,” Embiid said. “I want to thank the coaching staff, my teammates, the fans — everyone that’s helped me through my journey. After thinking a lot, I’ve decided to declare for the NBA Draft.”

The Cameroonian native averaged 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game for the Jayhawks. However, his career ended abruptly, as he missed the team’s final six games due to a back injury. If healthy, ESPN’s Chad Ford projects that Embiid will be a top-3 pick in the Draft.

Embiid, in a Twitter exchange with Cliff Alexander, a top recruit who has committed to play for Kansas next season, was responding to a sourced report by Yahoo! Sports that the 7-footer was heading to the pros, where he is projected to be among the top picks in the draft on June 26.

Kansas coach Bill Self told ESPN’s Andy Katz that the 20-year-old Embiid hasn’t informed him of a decision as to whether he’ll stay or opt for the NBA. And Luc Mbah a Moute, Embiid’s mentor, also said on Twitter that the freshman has yet to make a decision.

There is still plenty of time for the SLAM 177 cover boy to make up his mind, as he has until April 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET to declare for the draft.

You can argue pretty easily that the two top prospects in the 2014 NBA Draft—should they declare—are star freshmen and SLAM 177 cover boys Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid.

However, the Duke forward and the Kansas center are reportedly unsure about entering the 2014 Draft after both schools were unexpectedly bounced during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

Parker and the third seeded Blue Devils were eliminated in the first round of the Tournament on Friday, and after the game, Parker reportedly told ESPN’s Andy Katz that his career is “incomplete” and that may impact his decision to declare.

As for Embiid, who did not play when second seeded Kansas fell to 10th seeded Stanford due to a lingering back injury, told ESPN’s Jeff Goodman that he is still contemplating staying in school

While fellow freshman Andrew Wiggins will leave after the season, Kansas teammate Joel Embiid told ESPN that he will talk to the Jayhawks coaching staff and also his mentor, fellow Cameroon native and NBA player Luc Mbah a Moute, before making a final decision concerning his NBA future.

Embiid said he’s not yet thinking about the decision just moments after watching the Jayhawks get knocked out of the NCAA tournament with a loss to Stanford in the round of 32.

“I’m not worried about that right now,” Embiid said.

The two, along with all other potential early entrants, have until April 27 at 11:59 p.m. ET to declare for the draft.

We all knew that SLAM cover boy Joel Embiid’s back injury was being monitored by basketball fans across the nation. Now, his injury has piqued the interest of the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee.

Kansas coach Bill Self said that his star freshman center would miss the Big 12 Tournament and likely the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament with a stress fracture in his back. According to committee chair Ron Wellman, the committee will be in touch with Kansas to check on Embiid’s status for the Tournament.

Via ESPN:

“I can assure you it will be a detailed discussion as to when he is going to be available, and we will be monitoring and communicating with Kansas throughout the week as to what his availability will be going forward,” Wellman said.

There is precedent for this, with Arizona dealing with a back injury to Loren Woods in 2000 and Connecticut in 2004 with Emeka Okafor. The Wildcats’ seed wasn’t affected, though Woods didn’t play in the NCAA tournament that year. UConn’s seed was dropped a line, but Okafor played and the Huskies won the title.

“Do you reward teams for what they have done in the season, or do you project what they are going to do?” Wellman said.

You may have noticed SLAM showing love to those ‘On The Comeup’ as of late. First Stephen Curry, then Paul George, and just last month it was Damian Lillard—literally each player being younger than one who preceded him. Cover boys of three of the last four issues—and each blessing the cover for the very first time.

It seems like just yesterday those same guys were the talk of college basketball during the month of March. Newbies winning their respective conferences’ Freshman of the Year awards (Curry and Lillard) or becoming the team’s leading scorer and rebounder by the second one (George). Interestingly, neither one of them attended what’s considered to be a high-DI/national powerhouse collegiate program. Nor did either one of them leave school for the League as a freshman. Yet, they all epitomize prospects that lived up to the billing, only after barely having any buzz to live up to—all three were either two-star or three-star recruits coming out of high school.

As sports fans, there are two kinds of narratives that most are likely to support in an athlete: the guy who somehow is currently being doubted after suffering a recent setback despite having proven himself in the past, and the one who has unexpectedly and so suddenly risen to the top. The comeback kid and the late bloomer, so to speak.

When it came time to consider cover candidates for our annual March Madness issue, finding the right balance of a ‘prospect’ that combined those two attributes only seemed fitting. Thus, in a season that has featured all kinds of headlines surrounding the most highly heralded freshman class since the 2007-08 group, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid perfectly represent the combination.

Back in that ’07-08 freshman class, which featured the likes of Derrick Rose, Blake Griffin, James Harden, Kevin Love, OJ Mayo, Eric Gordon and Michael Beasley, a young head coach named Jeff Capel was at the helm at Oklahoma, and an under-the-radar frosh, Griffin, was among his players that season. Griffin went on to become the top pick of the ’09 NBA Draft. Today, Capel has the opportunity to have a second No. 1 overall draft pick on his resume in Parker, serving as an assistant under Mike Krzyzewski. So if there’s anyone who knows a thing or two about becoming the top draft pick while in a mega freshman class that’s touted the best in years, Capel is the guy to talk to.

“I don’t remember back then there being a Freshman Tracker where we were ranking the best freshmen,” says Capel of what the likes of Parker and Embiid have had to deal with in contrast to the last mega class. “I’m not saying there wasn’t one but I just don’t remember one. With this freshmen class, they are being judged every single game. You have this Freshmen Tracker, you have these mock drafts. It’s like, let these guys be freshmen. Obviously, it comes with the territory because of how incredibly talented they are.”

In terms of Parker’s cover story, it mostly revolves around him finding his way back to his pre-injury self and the mental and physical steps that Duke took during the summer to help him get there. And then there are all the unique nuances that separate him from the pack. Like his very particular pre-game music taste that likely none of his teammates bump to.

“I tell people all the time, ‘Jabari is an old-soul.’ Just how he thinks and what he likes,” says Capel.

So old-school that he rather not even use a measuring cup when mixing his “secret ingredients” in the kitchen for the Durham-famous “Jabari Bars.” Kids these days and their fancy technology.

When Parker went to Duke for his official visit in the fall of 2012, Capel picked him up at Raleigh-Durham International Airport. On the ride to campus, the two quickly found some common ground in their passion for ’80s and ’90s hip-hop music. “He is a different dude, in a good way,” the coach admits. “Just how he thinks and how he approaches things.” Since then, Capel introduced the Chicago native to producer 9th Wonder, a friend of the coach who also teaches a class at Duke.

We conducted Parker’s cover shoot at the legendary Cameron Indoor Stadium just hours after a late-night home game in early February. Parker is on the cover of our March Madness issue for the second consecutive year. Last year, he shared the cover with Andrew Wiggins. Having broken a bunch of records, including becoming the first Duke player to ever lead the team in points and rebounds as a freshman and most 20-plus points by a rookie, any post-injury skepticism has long faded. Despite the deep class, Parker has easily distinguished himself as the most versatile and NBA-ready out of the bunch. Second in the ACC in scoring, first in rebounds, second in three-point field goals—he is only 18 years old, you know (turning 19 on Saturday in a potential conference semifinal showdown against Syracuse). As of right now, it looks like the John R. Wooden Award will come down to Parker and Creighton’s Doug McDermott. Halfway through the shoot, Parker points at the rafters, adding: “That’s always a sign of motivation every time I see those numbers on the banners and the retired jerseys. It reminds me that they impacted the program in such ways to help the team be successful. It’s what I want to do.”

In Parker’s case, the setback his journey greeted included people jumping off the bandwagon while he recovered from his foot injury. Compare final rankings and mock drafts at the start of the season to what’s being said of him today, as strange as it sounds, he’s reintroduced himself to those that forgot.

By the way, do you know when the last time SLAM had collegiate players posing solo for the cover of a March Madness issue? Yep, that highly touted ’07-08 freshman class. Beasley, Gordon and Rose—who happens to hail from the same high school as Parker and whom the Duke-stud poses with in his Twitter avatar, taken the first time he met the Bulls star at Simeon back in 5th grade. The blue background Rose had on his March Madness cover also isn’t too far off from what Parker has on this one. What were the chances they both would end up here?

The emergence of Embiid—who graces our second cover, which will be available at all US newsstands—into a potential No. 1 draft pick couldn’t have possibly been expected by anyone. Not this soon at least. In retrospect, the 7-footer barely even made SLAM’s PUNKS section. It wasn’t until after he finished with 5 blocks and 7 rebounds to complement his 4 points at the Jordan Brand Classic in mid-April that our EIC Ben Osborne suggested he should be considered for a PUNKS story. We ended up featuring him in Issue 170, which dropped in mid-June and was literally the last batch of 2013 recruits featured before turning our attention to the rising senior Class of 2014 the following month. In many ways, that game at Barclays Center might have been the start of it all. The following month, ESPN had moved up Embiid to No. 6 in the senior class. But even then, the scouting report was still basically a raw talent with tremendous upside; a TBD until his offense begins to come around.

So when I reached out to his HS coach, Justin Harden, at The Rock School in late-May of last year, the Cameroon native was basically within a week from graduating. At the time, he made a trip from Florida to Washington, DC, to renew some visa paperwork at the Cameroonian Embassy. Understandably, he ended up calling me late that night. He quickly apologized for not getting back to me sooner, before apologizing again for his foreign accent and then saying thank you a couple of times for the interview. The point is, here was an extremely humbled kid saying sorry for things that needed no apology. Little did he and the rest of us know back then that within six months he would gain all the national notoriety he’s garnered and be a candidate for the top pick of the Draft—and that within nine months he would find himself going from barely making the back of the magazine to donning the cover. Remarkably, he’s improved drastically from that spring night in Brooklyn, especially his footwork. Averaging over 11 points and 8 rebounds for the season, the Hakeem Olajuwon comparisons have been nonstop. The recent news of him suffering from a stress fracture in his back and subsequently going to miss the Big 12 tourney, and possibly even the NCAA Tourney, could have potentially marked the end of his college career—considering that if he’s seriously considering the Draft then sitting out and playing it safe might be the way to go.

Nonetheless, if it is the end, the real beginning is only about to start. For both.

Kansas will have to compete in the Big XII Tournament without star freshman center Joel Embiid, and likely will be without his services for the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Embiid tweaked his back earlier this year and was shut down for the remainder of the regular season on March 3. Jayhawks coach Bill Self had previously said that he couldn’t envision a scenario in which Embiid wouldn’t play in the NCAA Tournament.

However, after Embiid was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back, Self said in a release that he would keep his star center out longer than he originally anticipated.

“Based on that, this weekend is out,” Kansas coach Bill Self said in a statement released Monday night. “Next weekend, we feel like is a long shot, but the doctors are hopeful that if Joel works hard in rehab and progresses that it is possible that he could play in the later rounds of the NCAA Tournament if our team is fortunate enough to advance.”

Embiid has already missed two games and is halfway through the recovery process, according to KU. But the latest developments cast a long shadow on the Jayhawks’ chances in the NCAA Tournament.

“We’re all very disappointed for Joel,” Self said. “He’s worked so hard and improved so much. He’s been one of the most improved players in the country in such a short amount of time. The most important thing is for Joel to get healthy. We were hopeful, Joel was hopeful, the doctors were hopeful that his body would respond more rapidly to rehab and that has not been the case.”

Embiid has been a revelation for the No. 10 Jayhawks this year, averaging 11.2 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game en route to being a likely top-5 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

]]>http://www.slamonline.com/nba/nba-draft-index-vol-iv/feed/1SLAMonlineJoel Embiid Could Get Some Time Off With Various Injurieshttp://www.slamonline.com/news-rumors/other-news/joel-embiid-could-get-some-time-off-with-various-injuries/
http://www.slamonline.com/news-rumors/other-news/joel-embiid-could-get-some-time-off-with-various-injuries/#commentsTue, 11 Feb 2014 21:44:16 +0000http://www.slamonline.com/online/?p=307470

According to Jayhawks head coach Bill Self, freshman big man Joel Embiid has suffered injuries to his left leg and back, and will get some time off. There is no word on whether or not Embiid will miss any games with these injuries.

From the Kansas City Star:

“Jo is beat up,” Self said. “He’s beat up. I’m not going to make one excuse for him, because if you’re out there you have to (perform), but certainly he’s going to get some time off.”

Will Embiid miss Saturday’s home game against TCU? Self isn’t ready to say.

“I don’t know,” Self said. “We’re going to re-evaluate. We’ve known since last week that we were just going to try to get through (K-State on Monday). There’s nothing structurally that he’s dealing with, but he’s beat up, obviously.

“His body has taken a toll here the last two or three weeks.”

The No. 7 Jayhawks have two games in the next week, hosting TCU on Saturday and traveling to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech next Tuesday. Embiid is third on the team with 10.7 points per game, and leads Kansas in rebounding (7.8 rpg) and blocks (2.5 bpg)

“Physically, mentally, if I feel like I’m ready, I’m going to leave,” Embiid said. “But right now, I’m not really thinking about that. So I’m just thinking about winning the Big 12 and winning the national championship.”

KU coach Bill Self says the notion that Embiid will consider both options is not new.

“There’s always a chance that somebody could come back,” Self said. “But I will say this, Joel will not make his decision based on the money.”

Embiid has been a revelation for the Jayhawks this season, averaging 10.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 22.7 minutes per game. According to ESPN’s Chad Ford, Embiid is the No. 1 prospect in the 2014 Draft.

There’s a handful of unbelievable college prospects eligible for the ’14 Draft. Which will have the greatest NBA career? Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

The 2014 NBA Draft has been seen as the Holy Grail with a dozen impact players who can elevate a franchise. The projected top-five picks have the potential to be All-Stars in their inaugural season. This is an especially tremendous number when it is also considered that typical Drafts have five to 10 rotational players and this Draft could have 15 to 20 depending on development. With the NBA Draft Index, we will track the top players throughout the rest of the college season.

1) Jabari Parker, 6-8, G/F, Duke

The skill package is just too impressive to pass up for the top spot. Return of his bounce and acceleration from last season’s leg injury has surprised scouts. Must become a better perimeter defender or will slide down. Assist/turnover ratio disappointing, must show more trust in teammates.

2) Andrew Wiggins, 6-8, G/F, Kansas

The “wow” factor in this Draft. Has shown incredible bounce and quickness. He’s still continuing to develop as a basketball player. Excels in transition. Has good shooting mechanics, look for continued development of his handle. Should become a better distributor as season goes on. Athletism is in the top one-tenth percentile in the world.

3) Marcus Smart, 6-4, G, Oklahoma State

Consummate winner who has excelled at the point on the collegiate level. New defensive rules make Smart unguardable. Strength, quickness and passing ability impress while three-point consistency remains a question. Fierce competitor, but the Memphis game exposed that he makes errors by forcing the issue.

4) Joel Embiid, 7-0, C, Kansas

Late-blooming skilled 4/5. Has 7-5 wingspan. Terrific touch and face-up skills. Needs to become more assertive in post. Former soccer star has only been playing for three years. His long-term potential is immense. As the season progresses, his confidence will rise and so will his dominance.

5) Julius Randle, 6-9, F, Kentucky

Southpaw has the power and quickness to dominate the game. Most comfortable 15 feet and in, will be tested with NBA defender’s size and length. Tunnel vision has led to over 3 turnovers per game average. Shows consistent motor, good footwork and great balance. Underrated athlete and competitor, averages nearly 9 free-throw attempts per game.

6) James Young, 6-6, G/F, Kentucky

Athletic lefty is Kentucky’s most complete talent possessing deep three-point range to go along with good ability to finish at the rim. Low shooting percentage is more an indicator of lack of time with the basketball as he fights for touches with talented Wildcat cast. Game will translate to the next level at the shooting guard position.

7) Noah Vonleh, 6-10, F, Indiana

Double-double machine has great length and athleticism as he is just starting to unlock his offensive talent. Game has the ability to expand with sneaky perimeter skills including ability to hit three-point shot. 7-4 wingspan needs to add strength and lose tweener label.

8) Aaron Gordon, 6-8, F, Arizona

Understands and is willing to play his role for the top-seeded Arizona Wildcats. Dynamic athlete with quality ball skills. Has really impressed with his passing ability. Efficient player who must improve perimeter shot. Currently projects as a 4 on the next level. Wingspan is 6-11.

9) Montrezl Harrell, 6-8, F/C, Louisville

Lacks refined offensive game, but the long and bouncy above-the-rim performer has room to grow. Terrific motor, “manimalistic” on the glass with a mid-range game. 7-4 wingspan makes up for being a bit undersized for the next level.

10) Rodney Hood, 6-8, G/F, Duke

Prospective 2-guard excels in catch and shoot situations. Scorching this season over 45 percent from behind the arc and over 61 percent on two-point shots. Capable of doing more than score, needs to show ability to distribute the basketball as well as rebound at a higher level. Not an above-the-rim player, will be tested defending the perimeter on the next level.

11) Jerami Grant, 6-8, F, Syracuse

Rising talent is son of former NBA and Clemson standout Harvey Grant. Looks to follow track of former DeMatha Stag, Victor Oladipo. Backing up strong summer with tripling his output for surprising Orange. Explosive, athletic and long with a high motor. Must gain consistency with perimeter shot and extend shooting range.

12) Gary Harris, 6-4, G, Michigan State

Terrific scorer with a fantastic mid-range game but durability is a concern. Harris continues to fight the injury bug. Quality finisher with an array moves around the basket to complement three-point ability. Will need to refine ball-handling skills to progress.

THE NEXT TIER

Andrew Harrison, 6-5, G, Kentucky

Oozes with talent but continues to battle with not being the top option at Kentucky. Can get separation, score at the basket and hit the deep three. Looks to be a better pro if he can lose the selfishness and poor body language. Brother Aaron is quickly closing the gap between the siblings.

Zach LaVine, 6-5, G, UCLA

Freshman scorer doesn’t get the press his game deserves. Talented on the perimeter and even better athlete. Long, thin, has flaws, but this late bloomer is a potential lottery pick.

Brandon Ashley, 6-9, F, Arizona

Has been the unsung hero for the ‘Cats in the early part of the season. Quality scoring option who has become a match-up nightmare for opponents. Does all the little things when it counts. Impressive perimeter skills, looking more and more like a pro each game.

ALL-RIP VAN WINKLE TEAM (Players who have suddenly woken up this season to be valuable for their team)

Casey Prather, 6-5, F, Florida, SR

Has become the Gator’s top gun, tripling his scoring and improving across the board in his contributions.

Perry Ellis, 6-8, F, Kansas, SO

Former McDonald’s All American looked like a bust last season, has quietly been the most consistent Jayhawk.

Brice Johnson, 6-9, F, North Carolina, SO

Confident scorer has been a big part of three notable early season Tar Heel victories. Averaging double-figures in only 20 minutes per game.

Leigh Klein was formerly on staff at Texas and Rhode Island and is a popular guest on radio. He now owns Five-Star Basketball Camps, the nation’s top basketball camp. He contributes to SLAMonline and its coverage of college basketball and the NBA Draft. Klein can be followed at @LeighAlanKlein.